Southington police arrest would-be robber

SOUTHINGTON -Police arrested a Hartford man who allegedly tried to rob a Queen Street gas station in April but was turned away by the store’s clerk.

Dallas Bailey, 36, of Hartford, is accused of walking into the Exxon station with a gun at 1 a.m. April 23 and demanding cash.

Even though Bailey motioned with his hand to make sure the clerk knew he had a gun, the store employee refused to hand over the money, police said.

Bailey ended up walking out of the store empty-handed when he noticed a customer pulling up to a gas pump.

The clerk followed Bailey out and saw that a woman was trying to put gas into a white Nissan Altima.

Bailey got into the Nissan with the woman, the clerk told police. The two then drove off south on Queen Street. The car was later found abandoned in Hartford.

Police identified Bailey as the would-be robber. He was charged Friday with attempted first-degree robbery and first-degree threatening when he was brought to Bristol Superior Court.

He was being held on attempted murder charges in an incident in Hartford the same day as the robbery.

Police are still looking for the woman who was with Bailey. She is described as a petite black woman in her 20s with short, dark hair. She was wearing a dark blue sweatshirt with light blue jeans and a dark blue or black hat.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Detective J. Lopa at 860-378-1644 or email jlopa@southingtonpolice.org.